A Podcast About Columbo

Hosts and guests

Hosts

Jon Morris – Cartoonist, designer and writer currently living just outside of Seattle, Washington. Created the Ignatz-nominated comic strip “Jeremy,” writes the comic-centric blogs Gone&Forgotten and The Chronological Superman, and once appeared as a guest on This American Life. He’s recently finished his first book, which should be announced Summer of 2015. Imagines a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen but instead of Victorian adventurers it’s Jim Rockford, Dr. R. Quincy, Theo Kojak, Carl Kolchak and, of course, Lt.Frank Columbo. Follow Jon on Twitter at @CalamityJon.

38 comments on “Hosts and guests”

FINALLY a “Columbo” podcast! I was going to make it my civic duty to start one myself, and I’m glad to see that you guys picked up the gauntlet!

Great episodes so far and this has been bumped up to the top of my listening queue. Practically nobody I know knows anything about the show, so it’s like I’ve found my tribe.

Oh, and…um, er…if you’re ever looking for a guest co-host, I’ve got three podcasts and five years of podcasting under my belt, and the idea of gushing about Columbo for an hour with people who know what they’re talking about makes me squee. You have my email. 🙂

It doesn’t really seem like you guys like ‘Columbo’ much. That’s fine, I don’t blame you for your preferences. But why’d you start a podcast about ‘Columbo’ then? I’ve seen every episode of ‘Columbo’ at least twenty times (That’s a conservative estimate), and while there are episodes I consider superior to others (and certain episodes as downright subpar by television standards), it’s the wholeness of ‘Columbo’ and my fondness for it that makes me cringe when I hear a host of a ‘Columbo’ podcast say (as he did about ‘Deadly State of Mind’) ‘it’s not an episode I ever want to see again.’ (I guess you can say ‘Hey, I’m not a fanboy, I’m a critic’ which is fine but again I question why you’d want to start an entire podcast re: ‘Columbo’ if you’re not watching each episode repeatedly, studying it, etc.. (FYI, there are plenty of us who do just that.)

This podcast is fantastic! I have been waiting for people to talk Columbo with my entire life. You guys have got a great light-hearted atmosphere, and I love that you’re getting reactions from first time viewers. I really enjoy how you point out weird background things, bizarre behaviors and other oddities you laugh about as a fan watching (like Shatner’s paintings, the clown portrait, and Johnny Cash’s pills). I particularly get a kick out of how you guys critique the murder plot. No one watches Columbo for the plot! Haha. How complex, simplistic, or bizarre and impossible a murder plot might be only serves to tell you about the murderer.

Which ever one of you said that Columbo’s mind is a machine and it runs to the tune of This Old Man, was spot on, and I am excited for when you guys get to episodes with more slice of life Columbo scenes that are usually unrelated to the rest of the episode.

Also there’s a very late episode with a kidnapping, not a murder, that’s mostly a modern crime drama with bits of Columbo spliced in. It’s the only episode I don’t like, however, it is the episode which shows you habits Columbo has under pressure vs. which ones are made up to catch someone. This is something I know you guys have been speculating on a lot so far. Some habits are ones he has anyway and I find it interesting going back to other episodes and watching how he suppresses some of those habits when he has to, uses them to his advantage in other situations, and at other points makes things up entirely. After watching that weird late episode and then going back, it is a lot more obvious when he’s using which tactic.

Can’t wait for the next episode, and I do hope you get to all of them! I look forward to those in-between episode announcements, because in the true spirit of Columbo, there’s always just one more thing.

I have just discovered your podcast. I must admit I was just about to do the same thing. I have been a fan of Columbo for over 30 years and I can talk about him for hours on end. I would be happy to feature as a guest one day I must warn you though I live in London so syncing times up May be difficult but totally worth it.
Either way I will email you and offer my two cents from time to time. Good luck with the show and thank you.

It’s so refreshing to see so many people looking for other fans. It really is hard. My husband has fallen in love with it and so did my ex. I hear occasional pop culture references to him, but the shows have disappeared from television and Netflix doesn’t place it where it belongs. Hopefully one day, the fan base will grow.

I am completely new to podcasts, but so far have found them great fun. I listened to 4 or 5 of yours just yesterday alone! Thank you so much for bringing lively Columbo discussions to our ears.

Just heard your podcast. Great to hear that others enjoy Columbo as I do. In the 70s, as a boy, I saw it only as another detective show. Now I see all the humour of the characterisation, especially, the dog and the new technology thing oh and filthy cigar thing and the car and the coat. To me it’s hilarious and I laugh out loud when I see it.i see the flaws too but it’s brilliant. Keep podcasting coz I think that you get it too. All the best to you!

Hi again,
I just wanted to say how much I laughed with you at Aaron Bleyaert’s podcast. Jon and RJ kept the laughs coming…I think you guys are great. You should have Aaron back ‘now that he gets it’ to review another episode…lol. I recommend this one to my Columbo friends so that they might see it from another viewpoint. I told my wife about it and she laughed too. Why does Columbo always wear a raincoat? hahaha. It made it funnier when Jon and RJ came up with a 10 minute script that would suit Aaron’s expectations…. if you don’t know what I mean…do yourself a favour and go listen to iTunes… find Just One More Thing and download these podcasts. Aaron is in “Now You See Him” episode. Thanks guys!

I’ve just listened to the recent Gwen, the TV critic, podcast and was interested to learn so much more about the Cassidy family. She brought some great discussion too about some of the other TV programmes of the seventies which informs what was happening around Columbo, at the time. I live in Scarborough, UK and am lucky to be able to record many Columbos from the TV on ITV and 5 USA channel. I have been surprised to see how long these episodes are. I always look forward to seeing the technology of the day. I won’t spoil it but Columbo goes to a government building to get an address for someone and he has to wait 20 minutes for this telex machine to be fed and then print it out. It seems that the writers appreciated the humour of these ‘modern’ contraptions too. I’m sure that you guys are the beginning of a ground swell in favour of making a new Columbo creation. Whoever it is, he needs to be his own man with his own foibles… i’m a fan of Matt Damon but he would have to bring his own interpretation (but not as a roughy toughy but as an empathetic cop). I think he’d enjoy it too.

Suggestion for your interviewees…. any of the writers, editors, backroom creators of any Columbo episode. or Peter Falk’s family, especially Shera Danese…. she might bring so many insights. What about anyone who has acted in any of the episodes and their perspective (maybe it was just a job but you might turn up some gold…while they are still alive). You could put it out there to see who would do it… or maybe someone knows someone who would do it. I need to have a lie down after sending you all these comments…lol. I do a lot of driving and so your podcast makes my journeys to work a lot more tolerable. One of my favourite episodes is “Playback” with Oskar Werner as the electronics expert. I think that, as a boy, we all thought that our future houses would have self opening doors. We do have mobile phones and laptops but we still have to open doors manually. Somebody needs to work on this!!! As ever, Columbo was ahead of his time.

Just one more thing…..
I was listening to the podcast about Murder Under Glass. You started talking about the fake ‘Ritz Crackers’ commercial by Louis Jourdan. That must have registered with me and, the next time I went to the supermarket, I bought a packet of Ritz Crackers. My wife asked why i’d bought them and I said “Well, its for whoever wants one with cheese…help yourself”. That night, I have to confess, that I ate the lot. Do you think that I am open to subliminal messaging?

After hearing your podcast about ‘Murder by the book’, I found myself watching it, this weekend. I recited all of the insights that you gave me about this episode and happily informed my wife. I also pointed out all of the unusual camera angles and the clear plastic cover on the murderer’s ‘sex cabin’ couch. Keep the info. coming, it makes the repeats a lot more enjoyable.

Am I becoming a Columbo nerd?
We recently bought a digital video recorder and, since the UK often repeats all the Columbo episodes, I have been happily recording these to keep for my own personal library. My daughter pointed out to me that I had taped some of the same episodes more than once. To rectify this, I printed out a list of all the Columbo episodes from the internet. I used this list to check which ones I have and which ones are repeated; so that I can delete these repeats.
When I had finished this exercise, I was pleased to see that I have taped every episode except for 4. I have a total of 64 episodes to watch… isn’t that great news?!
I even have the George Wendt episode which I look forward to seeing (even though you say he’s not very good in it).

As I was checking through the episodes, I found this interesting fact on Wikipedia.. The Columbo episode….”No Time to Die” is the only episode where no one is murdered. Check it out for yourself. p.s. Its not a favourite… the plot is a bit far-fetched and i’m sure that, due to the trauma caused by this event in her life, that these two would not have been able to overcome the distress/scar caused to their marriage and would have inevitably have had to divorce (it’s just my opinion… watch it and see what you think).

I absolutely love the podcast.Sometimes you think you’re alone in your devotion to something ,..like mine to Columbo. I have watched 90% of the episodes countless times…and essentially, know them verbatim…. finding a community of people who share my love of the show has…if nothing else vindicated me..particularly in the eyes of my loved ones who think I’m nuts…or at the very least I have proof there may be more than just me, sitting in the TV room of the nursing home one day..rocking in my chair, and hiding the remote should Columbo come on.
Columbo is comfort food for me, and no other show has had that impact on me. I have often questioned how I can possibly watch these episodes over and over again..despite knowing every single line of dialogue etc..I’d say its a barometer that measures whether you and I might “click”..for lack of a better term…George Carlin and the Simpsons being two other measurements of compatibility for me…ie someone says ” How can you be in your 50’s and watch a cartoon? “….ugh

anyway, really love the podcast guys… I love the tone of the show as well… And I truly enjoy listening and knowing there’s others like me out there… Keep up the good work gentlemen…

Just started listening. Columbo is in my top 5 shows ever and it’s nice to have a podcast to discuss so thanks! This first episode is for Johnny Cash in Swan Song – just an fyi about John Dehner, the fantastic character actor with like 5000 credits. He was also a HUGE radio actor (I’m an old time radio buff) – he starred in the radio version of Have Gun Will Travel (the episodes were literally the same scripts as the fabulous tv show starring Richard Boone – I heartily recommend it if you haven’t seen/heard it) and in a great picaresque radio Western as a Brit writer traveling the West for stories called Frontier Gentleman. He was equally adept at drama and comedy, and a talented artist to boot – he was an animator on Bambi and Fantasia!

I’ve been a fan of Columbo for over 35 years (I’m 42, if that tells you anything..)and have seen every single episode at least 30-40 times. I live and breathe Columbo… but I’m new to podcasts. Having found myself with a new 2 hour commute, I thought, heck! There must be a Columbo talk show or something right?! after a google search, I found you all. 🙂 you almost lost me in the first 10 minutes when the guest you had on was an angry foul-mouthed Columbo hater. I turned it off and tried a different episode. And I’ve been hooked, so far listening every day to 2-3 episodes. Love the insights, love the laughs, and most important, I love finding others who understand the love I have for this show. It’s my comfort food, my security blanket, my little piece of “spending time with mom” memories ..(she’s no longer alive.) It’s really special- so no more A-hole guests that say rude things about this amazing show, cool? Other than that, I LOVE IT! Keep up the great work! I just wish there was a way to have live call-in episodes..I find myself yelling at my phone every time I want to join the conversation!! 🙂

I have been listening for a couple years now, and must say I am getting sad that there will come a time when all of the episodes have been discussed! I really enjoy the rapport that you two have, and I find myself laughing out loud each episode. Of course my wife thinks this is all ridiculous, but she doesn’t get us! Lol

Thank you for the entertainment, and look forward to the remainder of the podcasts, and hope that you continue on broadcasting in the future.

I have to tell you how much I enjoy your podcast. I am a long-time COLUMBO fan. I’ve watched COLUMBO since my teens when it first appeared on TV. My mother was a Peter Falk fan who had pointed out his performance in “The Price of Tomatoes” (an early TV-movie) with Inger Stevens. Of course, my life changed when at 15 I saw HUSBANDS and saw how film could be revolutionary. I followed the trio (Peter, Ben, and John) ever since, and COLUMBO was a delight. I’m a Story Analyst with 30+ years in the business and an MFA from UCLA Film School where COLUMBO (and Cassavetes) were a frequent subject of discussion. Furthermore, I met John Cassavetes when I worked at Cannon Films in 1983 on his film LOVE STREAMS. (We first met in the men’s room where we discussed how his films were discussed at school.) When the film was shown to cast and crew (at then MGM), Peter and Ben Gazzara showed up to the screening. (There was a bottle of champagne on every seat in the huge screening room.) What a delight that was. I live in Westwood, just a few blocks from Westwood Village Cemetery where both Peter and John are buried. My blog, L.A. Morgue Files (morgue files are newspaper archives), features both of their cemetery plots and biographies. I know you both do not live in Los Angeles, but if you come for a visit, I would be pleased to offer you a free tour of Westwood Village Cemetery where I can not only show you their graves, but others, as well as the “unmarked” graves of certain celebrities. Once again, thank you for all the work you both put into the podcast. It is my number one podcast I look for when I bring up I-Tunes. Just one more thing: when I was a junior college student in the late 1970’s, I dressed up as COLUMBO with a white trench coat and a cigar to attend a Halloween party. It was well received. Best to you both and all of your guests!

I have to tell you how much I enjoy your podcast. I am a long-time COLUMBO fan. I’ve watched COLUMBO since my teens when it first appeared on TV. My mother was a Peter Falk fan who had pointed out his performance in “The Price of Tomatoes” (an early TV-movie) with Inger Stevens. Of course, my life changed when at 15 I saw HUSBANDS and saw how film could be revolutionary. I followed the trio (Peter, Ben, and John) ever since, and COLUMBO was a delight. I’m a Story Analyst with 30+ years in the business and an MFA from UCLA Film School where COLUMBO (and Cassavetes) were a frequent subject of discussion. Furthermore, I met John Cassavetes when I worked as a Production Accountant at Cannon Films in 1983 on his film LOVE STREAMS. (We first met in the men’s room where we discussed how his films were discussed at school.) When the film was shown to cast and crew (at then MGM), Peter and Ben Gazzara showed up to the screening. (There was a bottle of champagne on every seat in the huge screening room.) What a delight that was. I live in Westwood, just a few blocks from Westwood Village Cemetery where both Peter and John are buried. My blog, L.A. Morgue Files (morgue files are newspaper archives), features both of their cemetery plots and biographies. I know you both do not live in Los Angeles, but if you come for a visit, I would be pleased to offer you a free tour of Westwood Village Cemetery where I can not only show you their graves, but others, as well as the “unmarked” graves of certain celebrities. Once again, thank you for all the work you both put into the podcast. It is my number one podcast I look for when I bring up I-Tunes. Just one more thing: when I was a junior in college in the late 1970’s, I dressed up as COLUMBO with a white trench coat and a cigar to attend a Halloween party. It was well received. Best to you both and all of your guests!

So, I discovered these 2 fellows a few months back and since then their podcast has travelled with me throughout Alberta, Canada as well as to Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

To those naysayers that complain about the tangents they merrily divert off to I say this: a conversational tone is exactly what you want in a podcast on Columbo. If they just read from cue cards and stayed on point it would get deadly dull awfully fast.

They have that certain ADD distracted by squirrels and shiny things quality that makes for really great conversation with a new friend you’re getting to know.

With the exception of one guest who was trying to show off how clever he is in showing disdain for the beloved Columbo they have put together a merry roster of guests who love the show almost as much as I do.

I would give them a 5 star review were it not for their obvious bias against the 1980/90s episodes as well as Murder She Wrote and Fantasy Island.

So I give the podcast 4 out of 5 interruptions by JT and 4 out of 5 bemused anecdotes from Jon.

One for the suggestion box: a Mrs. Columbo doozy titled “Murder is a Parlor Game.” You boys enjoyed “Liquid Filth” so much, this one is Donald P. on ham-and-cheese steroids. Hope this eppy is on the to-do list. Would be a great listen.

You podcasts are routinely 4 1/2 out of 5 mizzenbooms. Every time. Sometimes more.

Been a lifelong Columbo fan..OMG do I love this podcast ..listening to it as I do my email at work ! and of course in the car …Having seen the episodes countless times I sometimes bang my head n the desk when i do not hear some interesting references ..recently listened to The Most Dangerous game and was waiting for someone to make reference that the PI who Columbo has the license suspended is also the charaacter who played Artie Jessop in Friend in Deed !